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a better life that excellent nature he has taken from

you.

I know not, my Lord, why I write this to you, nor hardly what I am writing. I am sure it is not from any compliance with1 form; it is not from thinking2 that I can give your Lordship any ease: I think it was an impulse upon me that I should say something. And whether I shall send you what I have written, I am yet in doubt.

3

WORLDLY MOTIVES.4

IF a fault may be found with Mrs. Bute's arrangements, it is this, that she was too eager :5 she managed rather too well; undoubtedly she made Miss Crawley more ill than was necessary; and though the old invalid succumbed to 6 her authority, it was so harassing and severe, that the victim would be inclined to escape at the very first chance which fell in her way. Managing women, 9 the ornaments of their sex,- women who order everything for everybody, and know so much better10 than any person

1 pour satisfaire aux exigences de. 2 in the idea.'

3 que je me suis senti entraîné dans mon cœur d; or, qu'une voix intérieure m'a crié qu'il fallait que je (see page 22, note 9).

4 Motifs intéressés.

5 S'il y avait un reproche à adresser à Mme B-, c'était d'apporter trop d'ardeur à l'exécution de ses plans.

6 sous; succomber sous, implies the idea of a weight, under which we bend, whereas succomber à implies the idea of a struggle, wherein we are overcome, as, succomber à la tentation, à la douleur, &c. But, here, the best rendering for to succumb under an (or, her) authority' will be courber la tête sous le joug, as an idea of voluntary submission, rather than

8

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concerned, what is good for their neighbours, don't sometimes speculate upon the possibility of a domestic revolt, or upon other extreme consequences resulting from their overstrained authority.1

Thus, for instance, Mrs. Bute, with the best intentions no doubt in the world, and wearing herself to death 2 as she did by foregoing sleep, dinner, fresh air,3 for the sake of her invalid sister-in-law, carried her conviction of the old lady's illness so far, that she almost managed her into her coffin. She pointed out her sacrifices and their results one day to the constant apothecary, Mr. Clump.

66

"I am sure, my dear Mr. Clump," she said, no efforts of mine have been wanting to restore our dear invalid, whom the ingratitude of her nephew has laid on the bed of sickness. I never shrink from personal discomfort: I never refuse to sacrifice myself."

8

"Your devotion, it must be confessed, is admirable,” Mr. Clump says, with a low bow ;9 "but"

11

"I have scarcely closed my eyes 10 since my arrival: I give up sleep, health, every comfort, to my sense of duty. When my poor James was in 12 the small-pox, did I allow any hireling to nurse him? No."

"You did what became an excellent mother, my dear Madam-the best of mothers; but".

15 יי

"As the mother of a family and the wife13 of an English clergyman, I humbly trust 14 that my principles are good,” Mrs. Bute said, with a happy solemnity of conviction ; and, as long as Nature supports me, never, never, Mr. Clump, will I desert 16 the post of duty.17 Others may

66

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je puis me donner ce témoignage de n'avoir négligé aucune tentative pour rendre la santé à.

6 ce lit de douleur.

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'pure.'

16 Turn, 'never, as long as (tant que) nature supports (page 52,

7 See page 67, note 16, and page note 2) me, I will desert."

149, note 15

s' dévouement.

17 la place où mon devoir m'enchaîne.

,

bring that gray head with sorrow on the bed of sickness (here Mrs. Bute, waving her hand, pointed to one of old Miss Crawley's coffee-coloured fronts,1 which was perched on a stand in the dressing-room), "but I will never quit it. Ah, Mr. Clump! I fear, I know, that2 that couch needs spiritual as well as medical consolation."3

"What I was going to observe, my dear Madam,”here the resolute Clump once more interposed1 with a bland air-" what I was going to observe when you gave utterance to sentiments which do you so much honour, was that I think you alarm yourself needlessly about our kind friend, and sacrifice your own health too prodigally in her favour." "5

"I would lay down my life for my duty, or for any member of my husband's family," Mrs. Bute interposed. "Yes, Madam, if need were; but we don't want Mrs. Bute Crawley to be a martyr," Clump said gallantly. "Dr. Squills and myself have both considered Miss Crawley's case with every anxiety and care, as you may suppose. We see her low-spirited and nervous;9 family events have 10 agitated her."

8

“Her nephew will come to perdition," 11 Mrs. Crawley cried.

"Have agitated her and you arrived like a guardian angel, my dear Madam, a positive 12 guardian angel, I assure you, to soothe her under the pressure of calamity. But Dr. Squills and I were thinking 13 that our amiable friend is not in such a state as renders 14 confinement to her bed necessary.15 She is depressed, but this confinement perhaps

1 See page 148, note 12.

2 'I fear,' &c., je ne le sais que

trop
Turn, as much the spiritual
assistance (secours, plur.) as that
(plur.) of the physician.'

4 se décida à dire Clump.

5 et que vous faites à cause d'elle bon marché de votre santé.

trop

'I would give.'

7 See page 4, note

1

9 Nous l'avons trouvée dans un état de faiblesse et de surexcitation

nerveuse.

10 affairs had.'-'to agitate,' here, mettre tout en émoi.

11

se perdra.

12 positively a.'

13 Use the present.

14 See p. 38, n. 3, and p, 35, n. 20. 15 The following turn will be the best, as 'confinement,' in this

and I.'-'have; see page 65, sense, can hardly be rendered very

note 12.

idiomatically by a noun- the

adds to her depression.1 She should have change, fresh air,2 gaiety; the most delightful remedies in the pharmacopoeia," Mr. Clump said, grinning and showing 3 his handsome teeth. "Persuade her to rise, dear Madam; drag her from her couch and her low spirits; insist upon her taking 5 little drives. They will restore the roses too to your cheeks, if I may so speak to Mrs. Bute Crawley."

4

"The sight of her horrid nephew casually in the park, where I am told the wretch drives7 with the brazen partner of his crimes," Mrs. Bute said (letting the cat of selfishness out of the bag of secrecy),8" would cause her such a shock, that we should have to bring her back to bed again! She must not go out, Mr. Clump. She shall not go out as long as I remain9 to watch over her. And as for my health, what matters it ?10 I give it cheerfully, Sir, I sacrifice it at 11 the altar of my duty."

"Upon my word, Madam," Mr. Clump now said bluntly, "I won't answer 12 for her life if she remains locked up in that dark room. She is so nervous that we may lose her any day; and if you wish Captain Crawley to be her heir, I warn you frankly, Madam, that you are doing your very best to serve him." 13

66 Gracious mercy

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The night before,1 Mr. Clump and Dr. Squills had had a consultation (over a2 bottle of wine) regarding Miss Crawley and her case.

3

"What a little harpy that woman from Hampshire is, Clump," Squills remarked, "that has seized upon old Tilly Crawley! Capital Madeira."

4

"What a fool Rawdon Crawley has been," Clump replied, "to go and marry a governess! There was something about the girl, too." 5

"Of course the old girl will fling him over," "6 said the physician; and after a pause added, "She'll cut up well,' I suppose."

"Cut up, "8 says Clump, with a grin ; "I wouldn't have her cut up for two hundred a10 year."

10

"That Hampshire woman will kill her in two months, Clump, my boy, if she stops about her," Dr. Squills said. "Old woman; full feeder; nervous subject; palpitation of the heart; pressure on the brain; apoplexy; off she goes. .11 Get her up,12 Clump; get her out or I wouldn't give many weeks' purchase for your two hundred a year.' And it was acting upon this hint that the worthy apothecary spoke with so much candour to Mrs. Bute Crawley. -(THACKERAY, Vanity Fair.)

14

1 La veille au soir.

2 tout en vidant une.

3

que cette (page 138, note); and leave out is."

4 Quelle folie aussi, à ce R. C.- d'aller épouser -to marry' is épouser (or, se marier avec), in the sense of 'to take in marriage,' and marier, in the sense of 'to give in marriage: thus we say, épouser sa (one's) fiancée, and marier sa fille (one's daughter).

5 Il est vrai (or, Le fait est) qu'il y a du sang dans cette fille. 6 va l'oublier(dans son testament). 7 elle ne passera (or, sautera) pas le pas (very familiar for ne mourra pas) sans laisser du quibus (familiar).

8 Passer le pas! Of course, this is far from being the literal trans

"13

lation of the English expression,
which, in this sense, has no equi-
valent in French.
9 la voir

6

10 par.-'two hundred;' add, pounds.'-'in two months;' see p. 130, n. 9.

11 Vieillesse réplétion; nerfs irritables; palpitations de cœur ; congestion cérébrale; apoplexie ; la voilà partie (or, vulgarly, and not in bad keeping with the general tone of these two men, bonsoir la compagnie).

12 Remettez-la sur pied; or, Faites-la lever. See page 6, note 13. 13 ou sans cela je ne donne pas longue durée à votre revenu annuel de ce côté-là.

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14 Et le digne ne faisait qu'agir d'après cet avis quand il, &c.; or, Et c'était sous l'empire de cette pensée que le digne, &c.

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